Considerando que transformações no sistema tributário indicam processos de construção do Estado, o presente trabalho dirige-se aos seguintes problemas: quais os determinantes sociais e políticos do sistema tributário paraguaio desde a transição democrática, 1989? Qual a influência dos principais setores econômicos? Por que tem sido particularmente difícil extrair impostos das elites privadas no país? De forma a responder tais questões, o trabalho está organizado da seguinte maneira. Primeiro, traz uma periodização da construção do Estado no Paraguai a fim de contextualizar o processo em andamento. Segundo, apresenta indicadores para ilustrar a conjuntura socioeconômica, institucional e fiscal do país. E terceiro, analisa a trajetória das reformas tributárias implementadas no Paraguai desde 1989 a partir de categorias da literatura de sociologia fiscal. O estudo sugere a existência de estruturas de dependência de trajetória no sistema tributário paraguaio, conformadas pela ação política de elites agrárias com alto grau de coesão e dominância. Essas elites têm conseguido bloquear reformas que possibilitariam transformações em termos de capacidade e progressividade do sistema tributário, além de perfurar sua universalidade. / Assuming that changes in the tax system indicate state-building processes, this paper addresses the following questions: what are the social and political determinants of the Paraguayan tax system since the beginning of the democratic transition in 1989? What is the influence of the country’s main economic sectors? Why have state authorities in Paraguay been so unsuccessful to impose taxes on its private elites? To best answer these questions, the study is organized as follows. First, it provides a periodization of state-building in Paraguay so as to contextualize the ongoing process. Second, it illustrates the country’s socioeconomic, institutional and fiscal situation through the display of indicators. Third, it draws upon scholarship on fiscal sociology to provide analysis of the trajectory of tax reforms implemented in Paraguay since 1989. The study suggests the existence of a path dependent tax structure that was shaped by political action of highly cohesive and dominant agrarian elites. These elites have been able to veto reforms that would allow changes in levels of tax capacity and tax progressivity, besides having perforated tax universality.

A partir da abertura comercial brasileira em 1990, verifica-se a ascensão de processos comerciais dinâmicos trazidos pela globalização. Assim, o fenômeno da multiterritorialidade surge como alternativa a estudos como o da internacionalização de empresas. Para atuar neste sentido, as organizações deparam-se com espaços físicos e simbólicos, de onde emergem os elementos de mesma ordem. Porém, poucos são os estudos acerca do fenômeno multiterritorial, tampouco sobre os elementos físicos e simbólicos. Além disso, tendo em vista que o estudo trata de uma trajetória histórica verificada através da análise de path dependence, estes elementos estarão presentes nas ações referentes a uma parceria entre organizações, as quais serão observadas através da ótica de seus respectivos stakeholders. A revisão teórica, portanto, focou-se na relação existente entre path dependence, e o desdobramento de um processo de projeção histórica sobre a multiterritorialidade, bem como acerca dos elementos físicos e simbólicos que a cercam. Deste modo, a teoria dos stakeholders veio auxiliar na categorização dos diferentes tipos de grupos ou indivíduos envolvidos, podendo afetar ou ser afetados, pelas organizações. Foi elaborado um estudo de caso diante da parceria de uma empresa multinacional à jusante da cadeia coureiro-calçadista, com uma empresa agente de exportação de calçados, da cidade brasileira de Novo Hamburgo, localizada no polo regional calçadista do Vale do Rio dos Sinos. Os dados primários foram coletados por meio de entrevistas semi-estruturadas com stakeholders das duas empresas. Os principais dados secundários das empresas foram, respectivamente, na empresa multinacional, o website, o código de conduta na produção de calçados e apresentações documentais sobre a mesma, ao passo em que na empresa agente, o conteúdo pertinente foi alcançado através de publicações próprias e documentos oficiais, como o manual de qualidade empresarial. Os resultados apontam que a estrutura de análise da presente pesquisa foi um mecanismo válido para a identificação, observação e, estudo dos elementos físicos e simbólicos na trajetória multiterritorial da parceria internacional. Evidenciam também, os elementos que receberam mais atenção dos entrevistados, são eles: mudanças de sistemas, mudanças de processos, mudanças de práticas, mudanças de estilos de gestão, padronização, adesão a mudanças, interesses econômicos, abertura de mercados, declínio de mercado, impactos econômicos, impactos sociais e redução de operações. Estes elementos regem o fenômeno multiterritorial. Além disso, um resultado relevante encontrado na pesquisa foi a predominância de elementos de origem simbólica, o que deve ser ressaltado diante de pesquisas que não consideram tais elementos com tamanha importância na comparação com elementos materiais ou físicos. Na análise entre stakeholders do Brasil e EUA, os elementos físicos tiveram razoável importância e os simbólicos, muita importância, para ambos os países. Já na análise entre diferentes categorias de stakeholders, foi dada razoável importância aos elementos físicos por todos eles e, muita importância para os simbólicos por stakeholders e stakekeepers; contudo, para os stakewatchers, os elementos simbólicos são apenas importantes. Assim, a presente pesquisa poderá servir como alternativa para estudos que envolvam parcerias organizacionais e mudança territorial. Percebe-se a oportunidade obtida para o desenvolvimento exploratório acerca de elementos simbólicos que permeiam esses temas. Portanto, pode-se analisar ainda mais a percepção de stakeholders com relação a estes elementos simbólicos. / Since the opening of the brazilian international trade in 1990, there is the rise of dynamic business processes introduced by globalization. Thus, the phenomenon of multi-territoriality is an alternative to studies such as the internationalization of companies. To act in this way, organizations are faced with physical and symbolic spaces, from which emerge the elements of the same order. However, there are few studies about the multi-territory phenomenon, nor on the physical and symbolic elements. Moreover, considering that the study is reflected in a historical trajectory verified by path dependence analysis, these elements will make part of actions related to a partnership between organizations, which will be seen through the perspective of their respective stakeholders. The theoretical review, therefore, focused on the relationship between path dependence, and the development of a historical projection process about multi-territoriality, and about the physical and symbolic elements that surround it. Thus, the theory of stakeholders came assist in categorizing the different types of groups or individuals involved, which may affect or be affected by organizations. A case study was prepared for analyzing the partnership of a multinational in downstream of the leather footwear chain, with a business agent for export of shoes, located in the brazilian city of Novo Hamburgo, in the regional shoes cluster of Vale do Rio dos Sinos. Primary data were collected through semi-structured interviews with stakeholders of both companies. The main secondary data of the companies were, respectively, in the multinational company, the website, the code of conduct in the production of footwear, and the documentary presentations, while that in the agent company, the content has been achieved through its own publications and official documents, such as the corporate quality manual. The results indicate that the structure of analysis of this research was a valid mechanism for identification, observation and study of physical and symbolic elements in the multi-territory trajectory of international partnership. Also highlight the elements that received the most attention from respondents, they are: changes of systems, changes of processes, changes of practices, changes of management styles, standardization, adherence to changes, economic interests, opening markets, declining of market, economic impacts, social impacts and reduction of operations. These elements guide the multi-territorial phenomenon. Moreover, a relevant result found in the research was the predominance of symbolic origin’s elements, what should be emphasized since there are researches that do not consider such elements with this importance in comparison with material or physical elements. Analyzing stakeholders from Brazil and USA, the physical elements were considered reasonably important, and the symbolic very important, for both countries. In the analysis among different categories of stakeholders, has been given reasonable importance to the physical elements by all of them, and the symbolic elements were considered very important by stakeholders and stakekeepers; although, for stakewatchers, the symbolic elements are merely important. Thus, this research may serve as an alternative to studies involving organizational partnerships and territorial change. This can be seen as the opportunity for exploratory development on the symbolic elements that permeate these themes. Therefore, the perception of stakeholders can be even more analyzed, regarding these symbolic elements.

Submitted by Celso Florêncio de Souza (florenciosouza@gmail.com) on 2013-10-25T15:55:17Z No. of bitstreams: 1 DISSERTAÇÃO-SOUZA.pdf: 4315111 bytes, checksum: f9fddf8cced359ebfc9e7ab452c7923d (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by ÁUREA CORRÊA DA FONSECA CORRÊA DA FONSECA (aurea.fonseca@fgv.br) on 2013-10-28T18:04:04Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 DISSERTAÇÃO-SOUZA.pdf: 4315111 bytes, checksum: f9fddf8cced359ebfc9e7ab452c7923d (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Marcia Bacha (marcia.bacha@fgv.br) on 2013-10-30T18:42:50Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 DISSERTAÇÃO-SOUZA.pdf: 4315111 bytes, checksum: f9fddf8cced359ebfc9e7ab452c7923d (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2013-10-30T18:43:01Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 DISSERTAÇÃO-SOUZA.pdf: 4315111 bytes, checksum: f9fddf8cced359ebfc9e7ab452c7923d (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-10-11 / The aim of the present study is to understand how c ontextual factors have affected the transfer of independent regulatory agencies (IRAs) in Brazil ian water and sanitation sector. The divergence in transfer process has led hybrids mode ls of IRAs in this sector. Thus, the empirical contribution of this study is: (i) to demonstrate the main factors involved in the transfer, and (ii) to identify different types of ARIs resulted from water and sanitation context. These models are: (i) Multisectoral state IRAs, (ii) State ARI (exclusive for water and sanitation), (iii) municipal ARIs, (iv) Regional ARIs and (v) Buro/regulocracy. However, to identify the factors and to understand the resulted ARIs, it was necessary create a theoretical model to overcome policy transfer literature’s rest rictions. Therefore, we combined the policy transfer theory with path dependence literature, be cause our first analyses showed the importance of water and sanitation sector’s dynamic in the IRAs transfers. Thus, overcoming one of the main limitations of the policy transfer framework – a 'one way' transfer direction - is the main theoretical contribution of this study. / O presente trabalho tem por objetivo entender como os fatores contextuais têm influenciado o processo de transferência do modelo de agência reguladora independente (ARI) no setor de saneamento básico brasileiro. Devido à divergência existente entre estes fatores contextuais, verificou-se que estão surgindo, pelo país, modelos distintos de ARIs. Sendo assim, a contribuição empírica desta dissertação está em, além de apresentar os fatores envolvidos na transferência do modelo, identificar os tipos de ARIs resultantes das divergências contextuais no saneamento básico. Estes modelos são: (i) ARI Estadual multissetorial, (ii) ARI estadual exclusiva de saneamento básico, (iii) ARI Municipal, (iv) ARI Regional ou Consorciada e (v) Buro/regulocracia. Entretanto, para chegar a estes resultados, foi necessário construir um modelo teórico que superasse as restrições existentes na literatura de policy transfer. Para tanto, esta teoria foi utilizada em conjunto com o path dependence, uma vez que, após as primeiras pesquisas no setor, verificou-se uma forte influência das variáveis históricas sobre o saneamento. Nesta interseção consiste a contribuição teórica deste trabalho, uma vez que, com a integração de elementos do path dependence na literatura de policy transfer foi possível romper com uma das principais limitações desta teoria: a unidirecionalidade da transferência.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / The thesis examines how elite perspectives on foreign aid affect the subsequent path of aid dependence. The focus is on aid-seeking foreign policy change. Two foreign policy change cases are examined for the study, which took place in Korea under Park Chung-hee and in Ghana under Rawlings through a lens of comparative historical analysis. The thesis aims to make two original contributions to knowledge. First, it explains recipient foreign policy using two different forms of mercantilism, and second, it reveals the dependent path created by the mercantilist oriented elite. Mercantilism in the thesis is used as dual-frameworked concept. First, it is a lens to see state behaviour. Despite the fact that mercantilism has been mainly used to explain a donor‘s behaviour, it can elucidate that of an aid-recipient state when the aid-seeking country is in dire need of the foreign aid for the survival of the state. The thesis applies mercantilism to explain aid-receiving countries‘behaviour. Second, more importantly, mercantilism also explains elite perspectives. The elite in aid receiving countries search for foreign aid not only for the wealth and power of their state, but also for the prosperity and survival of themselves. Mercantilism is used as an ostensible principle in practicing the private search for advantages of the elite. The thesis uses the dual-mercantilism idea to examine aid-seeking foreign policy in Korea and Ghana. In Korea, the elite saw the key to their survival in industrialising the nation, and their search for foreign aid took place based on that raison d’être. In Ghana, on the other hand, the elite found the way to their survival and prosperity in acquiring more foreign aid and the aid per se became the ultimate goal. The thesis finds industrial mercantilism a useful framework to understand the elite perspective in Korea

The study focuses on the development path of a tourism destination area centered around a special nature reserve and adjacent rural communities in the northern part of Serbia. Utilizing evolutionary economic geography (EEG) as an increasingly present theoretical and conceptual framework in the studies of tourism, this research project employs key EEG concepts of ‘path dependence’ and ‘co-evolution’. ‘Path dependence’ examines different social, economic, institutional and sectoral factors that direct, propel and/or hinder destination development, while ‘co-evolution’ analyzes causal and relational exchanges of stakeholders within and associated with the destination. The objective of this study is to trace developmental and relational trajectories of the nature reserve, tourism enterprises in its vicinity, and the place and role of public sector in these processes. The study, therefore, aims to analyze: (1) how the concept of ‘path dependence’ applies to the tourism development path of the nature reserve; (2) the dynamics of co-evolutionary and relational exchange processes in the nature reserve destination area, namely those occurring between actors operating in both public and private sectors. The two combined EEG approaches, previously not applied within the outlined geographical context, serve to illustrate and explain overall development mechanisms within a tourism destination, relevant economically, socio-culturally as well as environmentally for its region and on the tourism market of Serbia. When methodology is concerned, the study is in form of a case study, with primary data drawn from semi-structured, in-depth interviews and supported with complementary data from relevant scientific articles, government documents, web sites and other publications. The study findings show that the nature reserve in its tourism growth displays a path dependence determined by two seemingly diverging factors: (1) rules and regulations pertaining to protected areas such as nature reserves dictate tourism development and (2) the reserve management entrepreneurial skills play a noteworthy role in shaping its tourism growth. Apart from path dependence, the tourism development path associated with the nature reserve displays path plasticity, which represents a new direction in tourism growth based on the existing infrastructural and managerial framework. Moreover, the study outcomes indicate that levels, directions and intensity of co-evolutionary and relational exchanges among all stakeholders included demonstrate several different patterns. While there is detectable relationship between the nature reserve and most local tourism-related stakeholders, relationships among local stakeholders themselves are rather uneven. Similar patterns are found regarding the involvement of public sector. Public sector is closely linked with the nature reserve, however, its association with other tourism stakeholders in the destination area is uneven.  These findings support the idea that each destination area stands as a unique and complex entity, with various endogenous and exogenous factors shaping its growth.

(in English): The diploma thesis compares (mal)functioning of the state during contemporary political development in Czech Republic and Greece. Firstly it explaines the theoretical understanding of the notion of state and varieties of its mulfunctioning such as clientelism, patronage and exploitation. Secondly it analyzes path-dependent historical changes of state and its mulfunctioning, since Ottoman supremacy in case of Greece and since democratic Czechoslovakia in case of Czech Republic. Subsequently the thesis deals with the impact that the economic crisis of 2008 had on political development and quality of democracy in these countries in the context of their mulfunctioning states.

Utsläpp av koldioxid från användandet av energi från fossila bränslen orsakar jordens uppvärmning och är ett stort miljöproblem. Den samhällsnisch vi människor skapat bygger på fossil energi och det har växt till ett beroende av fossila bränslen som energikälla. Teorin vägbundenhet beskriver och ger förklaring på hur beroende formas och bevaras, men teorin beskriver även hur beroenden kan brytas. Studiens syfte är att undersöka vilka möjligheterna är för vätgas- och bränslecellstekniken att vara en del av lösningen, en pusselbit i omställning till fossiloberoende energisystem. Analysmetoden som används är tematisk analys och det empiriska materialet består av tidningsartiklar som handlar om vätgas- och bränslecellsteknik. Tematisk analys innebär studier av mönster och hur teman skildras och förändras över tid. Teman är valda utifrån forskningsfrågorna. Analysresultatet visar på förändringar i beskrivning och skildring av teman. De förändringar som iakttagits beskrivs och diskuteras mot teori och tidigare forskning för att slutligen leda fram till ett svar på forskningsfrågan; ”Hur ser möjligheterna ut för vätgas- och bränslecellstekniken att vara en del i omställning till ett fossiloberoende samhälle?”. Slutsatsen är att det finns möjligheter för vätgas och bränsleceller att vara en del i konstruktionen av en ny samhällsnisch. / Emissions of carbon dioxide from the use of energy from fossil fuels cause global warming and are a major environmental problem. The social niche we humans have created is based on fossil energy and it has grown into a dependence on fossil fuels as an energy source. The theory of path dependence describes and provides an explanation of how addiction is formed and preserved, but the theory also describes how addictions can be broken. The purpose of the study is to investigate what the possibilities are for hydrogen and fuel cell technology to be part of the solution, a piece of the puzzle in the conversion to fossil-independent energy systems. The analysis method used is thematic analysis and the empirical material consists of newspaper articles that deal with hydrogen and fuel cell technology. Thematic analysis involves studies of patterns and how themes are portrayed and changed over time. Themes are selected based on the research questions. The analysis results show changes in the description and description of themes. The changes observed are described and discussed against theory and previous research to finally lead to an answer to the research question; "What are the opportunities for hydrogen and fuel cell technology to be part of the transition to a fossil-independent society?" The conclusion is that there are opportunities for hydrogen and fuel cell technology to be part of the construction of a new social niche.

Labour migration to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries has been occurring forseveral decades. Most of the GCC countries regulate this process through the Kafala System, alegal regime through which individuals and companies can sponsor foreigners with whom theyhave concluded an employment contract. But why do these countries bring millions of foreignersto their lands and what rights does the Kafala System guarantee them? Are there any negativeeconomic and political consequences that result from the way that the Kafala System has beenconceived in the GCC countries? If so, how can this system be reformed so that it produces moredesirable economic and political outcomes? This thesis explores these questions in the contextof the Kafala System in Saudi Arabia. It uses a New Institutional Economics (NIE) approach tounderstand the political, economic, and historical context within which the Kafala System arose,positing that the design of the system reflects a desire to promote economic growth and improvepolitical stability while remaining rooted in the Islamic identity of Saudi Arabia. It further showsthat for a long time, the Kafala System was successful in furthering these objectives. However, ithas lately become prone to producing suboptimal outcomes. Foreign direct investment in SaudiArabia has gone down, remittance outflows as a percentage of GDP have increased, skilled andhighly skilled workers are leaving the kingdom, and even Saudi Arabia’s political stability has beenreduced. Given all of these problems, the thesis uses Path Dependence (PD) theory to argue thatthe only reason that the Kafala System continues to be in place is that it has become a path-­‐dependent institution that is resistant to change. This took place in three steps: (1) the initial setof choices that created the Kafala System were informed by important economic and politicalconsiderations as well as an affirmation of the Kingdom’s commitment to tie all legal institutionsto an Islamic source, (2) the Kafala System successfully helped Saudi Arabia achieve rapideconomic growth and increased political stability, outcomes which served as a positive feedbackeffect, and (3) the continued use of the Kafala System has increased switching costs because oflearning effects, coordination effects, and adaptive expectations. The thesis then argues that inorder to successfully reform this system, it is important in the first instance to justify proposedchanges in light of Islamic teachings, since this will improve how receptive Saudi society is tothem. At the same time, it is also necessary to show that changes in the international investmentclimate and the transition to a global information economy constitute a ‘critical juncture’ duringwhich the problem of switching costs can be overcome and far-­‐reaching reforms can besuccessful. Of course, it goes without saying that reforms that increase protections for the rightsof workers would also align Saudi Arabia’s domestic law with its international treaty obligations.

Under 50- och 60-talet i USA växte bilismen och städer byggde väldigt mycket motorvägar. Trots detta började då i Washington, D.C. det förlopp som skulle leda till att de fick en tunnelbana på 70-talet. Denna uppsats studerar hur denna osannolika och oväntade tunnelbana kunde uppstå med hjälp av teorin om stigberoende.Genom att använda teorin om stigberoende som ett analytiskt verktyg, identifierar denna uppsats följande: (1) vilka små händelser, även kallade formativa moment, som startade processen att ge D.C. en tunnelbana, (2) den resulterande kedja av händelser, även kallade reaktiva sekvenser, vilka ledde tunnelbanerörelsen till den punkt där den upplevde självförstärkande processer. (3) Dessa självförstärkande processer, vilka slutligen resulterade i uppkomsten av tunnelbanan i D.C.Uppsatsen identifierar tre relativt små händelser som genom olika kedjor av reaktiva sekvenser leder till att kongressen, år 1965, beviljar tunnelbanan pengar vilket, genom efterföljande självförstärkande processer, säkerställer tunnelbanans uppkomst. / During the 50's and the 60's automobile usage in the United States grew significantly and cities constructed extensive highway networks. In spite of these trends, key events in the 1950's initiated a process that would result in the construction of the Washington, D.C. Metro System – one of the first metro systems built since the 1920's. By applying the Path Dependence Theory and examining narratives of actors and events in Washington, D.C. that influenced the development of the metro during that time, this paper shows how this unlikely and unexpected process occurred.Using the Path Dependence Theory as an analytical tool, this paper identifies the following: (1) certain small events, also known as critical junctures, which started the process of giving DC a metro; (2) the resulting chain of events, also known as reactive sequences, which allowed the metro (movement) to reach the point at which it experienced self-reinforcing processes; (3) these self-reinforcing processes, which finally resulted in the genesis of the metro in DC.The paper concludes that three relatively small events, through different chains of reactive sequences, led to Congress granting the metro funds in 1965 – which then brought about self- reinforcing processes that ensured the metro's genesis. / To be translated into English (upon request).; Appendix included.

對大多數台灣高科技廠商而言，產品創新已是公司生存及精進之必要。根據研究文獻的探討，我們發現影響產品創新的因素有三個，它們分別是：技術相關性、市場能力、及公司在吸收新知以轉換、內化並應用到新產品開發的能力。每一個因素我們皆根據文獻探討以給予定義的解釋，接著再將三因素皆分為”高” 及“低”兩方向來看。在行成一個三維的矩陣後，我們將其簡化成三個二維矩陣並一一解釋。每一矩陣皆有四個象限，皆有舉例說明探討。 接著，我們在產品創新中考慮路徑相依的特性並以實際個案分析之。首先，我們配合個案公司在過去曾經歷過的變革挑戰依時間點畫出”雙技術樹狀圖”(DTT)，接著我們分析出研究個案公司的產品發展路徑。所得出的研究資料告訴我們，在公司產品創新的路徑相依歷程中，產品及客戶能力兩者是彼此互相影響的。 接著，我們討論本研究個案中產品銷售的路徑順序。我們以每五年為一分斷點再各別作出一矩陣並一一分析之。我們發現，個案大多數產品線在不同客戶屬性間銷售路徑幾乎一致。即產品銷售皆由具有技術背景的系統整合商開始，接著銷售及於區域性或連鎖性之代理商，最後在一段時間後當公司產品達到穩定且做出公司名聲後，一些潛在全美國性質或泛歐洲的大通路商、甚至或具有大量銷售能力的競爭對手，雙方便開始以ODM或OEM方式合作。 最後，我們再以策略技術領域(STA)矩陣來分析一公司技術領域之強點與弱點。以公司的技術能力及各個產品線組成此一二維矩陣。研究發現所研究的個案公司其核心能力是在資訊產品元件中的硬體及韌體，而軟體為其弱點。本研究的個案公司以其對區域網路所擁有的專業知識、韌體能力，公司適當的切入策略(以能讓資訊週邊產品具有網附分享功能的周邊加值廠商)及其對PC週邊設備的瞭解，將持續增加個案公司在其網路領域的相對競爭優勢。 / For most Taiwanese high-tech companies, their product innovations have been recognized as a primary means of corporate renewal. Based on the literature review, we concluded that three factors affect the product innovations. They are: technology-relevance, marketing-capability and assimilation-capability. Each factor is divided into “high” and “low” conditions. We gave the definition to each factor and depicted their inter-relationships by three 2-dimension matrices accordingly. Each 2-diemsion matrix has four patterns. We explain each of these patterns by examples. Take into account of path dependence in product innovations, we analysis the real situation from our study case (TDK Corp.). We draw out the DTT (Dual Technology Tree) matching with the firm’s technological challenges in time sequence. We also analysis the TDK product developing paths, this figure offers insight into the resource dynamics through product innovation over time. The present data from TDK suggest that the reciprocal interplay between product and customer competence accounts for these path dependencies. Following, we also discuss the selling paths and sequence to TDK LAN products by a customers and products segmentation matrix in time sequence (with three different stages and each last 5 years). It shows that almost every of TDK’s product selling sequence is beginning from system integrators or small retail (with tech. background) first then accepted by national distributors. After achieving a good level in product quality and company reputation, some key customers or even competitors will do ODM/OEM business with the firm. Finally, we analysis a firm’s core abilities by STA(Strategic Technical Area) matrix. This matrix consists of technological abilities and product lines. Our research result shows that the TDK Corp. core competences are both LAN and firmware fields. However, the software area is its weakness. With its LAN knowledge, firmware competence, an appropriate strategy (as an embedded IT company to penetrate into niche markets around PC peripherals with network sharing functions), and the knowledge in different PC peripherals are continuously increasing the firm’s core abilities with higher comparative competition advantages than other firms in LAN field.